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Made in Chicago

We were having a discussion recently on favorite films set in Chicago. We know that many of the CT faithful live in the Chicagoland Area. We’d like to conduct an informal poll. What is your favorite movie made in and set in Chicago. We came up with the following criteria:

1) It must be filmed primarily in and set in Chicago.
2) It cannot be set here, but filmed elsewhere such as Chicago (The musical) or My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Catherine DiM “I find this practice distasteful. Winnipeg is NOT Chicago."
3) It cannot be filmed here but set elsewhere such as Light of Day, Batman Begins, Payback, or Stranger Than Fiction.
4) It cannot be The Blues Brothers (too obvious)

“My personal favorite is Adventures In Babysitting. It’s a teen comedy that’s not stupid, could work even today, and really shows Chicago as it was circa 1986”—Paul F.

“My favorite then would be Nothing In Common. It shows us an early Tom Hanks, and it also shows Chicago quite well. Plus I’ve always been a Honeymooners fan and this was Jackie Gleason’s last movie.” —Catherine DiM.

Well fellow CT fans. Name your favorite movie filmed and set in Chicago. Below is a partial list:

Hey, I didn’t know any of those films were made in Chicago. But of those films I liked “Adventures in Babysitting” a lot.
I hate to say it, but the “Blues Brothers” is the only film I would have known was made in Chicago.

I like John Hughes the breakfast club and I like Adventures in Babysitting. Here’s a note most of John Hughes films were filmed in and around Chicago. His others include 16 Candles,Fueller’s Day off etc.

Cooley High was a good one for seeing the city. There was a sun-times article on this a couple weeks ago. [url=View link
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OK… since you blocked me from voting for “Blues Brothers”, my vote goes to “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. I was working at the Tivoli theatre in Downers Grove when this movie came out. I remember walking out on Thursday night as the ushers were changing the marquee. They had laid the 18 inch Wagner letters on the sidewalk before putting them up; but. had spelled out “Ferris Bueller’s Off Day”. I commented to them, that would be a completely different movie. They still put it up wrong. The manager checked it and made them fix the error. Those were great times and a terrific movie as well.

How can anybody omit the Oscar winner “Ordinary People” which was filmed in the North Shore suburbs? As for “The Blues Brothers” the church scene was filmed in Northwest Indiana. Parts of “Silver Streak” and “Wayne’s World” was filmed in the Chicago area.

Robert Altman’s “A Wedding"
"A Night at the Sunset” (See my posting on the Sunset Drive-In Theatre of Skokie page)
“Stony Island” was filmed in Chicago but I haven’t seen it yet – was it good?
“Nightmare in Chicago” (made for TV but still good)
“The Monitors” (very strange but any movie that features Avery Schreiber, Alan Arkin and Senator Everett Dirksen is worth seeing once)

Hey, how about “Gaily, Gaily”? It’s the 1969 film of Ben Hecht’s early days as a young reporter in Chicago. I had a one-day job as an extra in the film. I’m in the first scene where Hecht, just off the train, gets his suitcase stolen and is caught up in a labor rally in the park that is raided by the police. That part was filmed in Lincoln Park. It was also one week prior to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The film company rented out the Coliseum for costuming and props. Had some noted actors in it: Beau Bridges, Melina Mercouri, Brian Keith, George Kennedy, Hume Cronyn, (a very young) Margot Kidder, Wilfrid Hyde-White, and John Randolph. Was also nominated for: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; and, Best Sound. Part was also filmed in Dubuque, Iowa; Galena, Illinois; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.